


Unexpected Turns

by Aleandra21



Category: Magnum P.I. (TV 2018)
Genre: Established Relationship, F/M, Family, Friends to Lovers, Long-Distance Relationship, Love Letters
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-15
Updated: 2021-01-10
Packaged: 2021-03-05 23:47:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 21
Words: 21,920
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25913860
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aleandra21/pseuds/Aleandra21
Summary: No marriage proposal, but both are determined to work through their forced separation. What they didn´t know is that a friend has something to say about this, and his decision will change their past, present, and future.
Relationships: Juliet Higgins & Thomas Sullivan Magnum IV, Juliet Higgins/Thomas Sullivan Magnum IV
Comments: 20
Kudos: 160





	1. Prologue

Stunned silence was the result of the totally unexpected story Juliet and Thomas have told them for the last hour. The events of last week, more like last months, made a whole lot of sense now.

Rick and TC had decided to hold a spontaneous “Welcome Back” party for Juliet at Robin´s Nest, as they hadn´t been allowed to have a “Going away” party for Juliet, on her request. They simply decided that her unexpected return after just three weeks was reason enough to celebrate, even if they all had to work the next day. For now, it was just them, Thomas and Juliet waiting for their friends to arrive.

“So, let me get this straight “. Rick was the first one to break the silence.  
“You two started dating after- “   
“Yes.”  
“And you still decided to start working together- “  
“Yes. “  
“And then your visa-issue came up.” TC added.  
“Yes. “  
“You went back to London, as they wouldn´t simply expand your visa. “  
“Yes. “  
“And Kumu had enough of his misery and decided to call Robin, since you both didn´t thought about asking him for help.”  
“Yes. “  
“Robin went to London and told you- „.  
“Yes. “  
“This is totally crazy. “Rick mumbles under his breath.  
“Two weeks later, you´re back in Hawaii, with a new visa.”  
“Yes. “  
“No need to leave ever again.   
“No.”  
“No need to return to reapply to London in a few years. “  
“No. All has been taken care of.” 

“Wow.” Rick and TC were stunned. They hadn´t expected this turn of events after the last couple of weeks.

“Not the usual happy end, but close enough. TC added, happy that their friends would be able to live their lives without any interruptions.

“I wouldn´t say that. “Rick said with a grin.  
“Why not? Higgy can stay in Hawaii and won´t have to leave at all! “Thomas was not willing to accept any thought that would ruin this… unexcepted, but very appreciated outcome.  
“Well, for her maybe. “ He pointed to Juliet with his free hand. “But for you… “  
“I don´t know what you mean. “  
“You mean since Higgy…“ TC looked at Rick.  
“Yeah, that´s what I mean. “  
“Oh yeah, he´s in trouble. “  
“Can someone please tell me what you´re talking about? “Patience wasn´t really one of his strength… except when it came to Juliet.

“Well, thinks about this. You´re working and living here. “  
“Yes, I know.”  
“Higgy lives and works here as well.”  
“I know.”  
“And who owns this amazing estate? “  
“Robin owns it, but…” Thomas stopped mid-sentence, after realizing what Rick and TC tried to tell him. “Yeah, that´s what we mean.”

“I´m screwed, right? Like totally screwed. Maybe I should call a lawyer and make my will.”  
“Would make sense. No way you´re coming out of this still alive once he knows.”  
“Or, at least, uninjured.”


	2. Undercover

_“So, let me get this straight “. Rick was the first one to break the silence._

_“You two started dating after- “_

_“Yes.”_

* * *

One hand on her back, he directed them to the stairs. They made it to the office on the first floor without running into someone.

“That was easy. I though this guy would have an army of security guards running around.” He handed Juliet the lockpicks and turned kept an eye on the corridor. “So, he either has a really good security system installed or…” She turned around “…is arrogant enough to believe that no one would dare to cross him. That would explain why would he leave the door to his office unlocked during an event? That makes no sense.” Sie handed him the lockpicks and stepped through the door.

Thomas followed her. “Money, power, influence in politics – you name it.” He looked around the office. It was rather empty, except for a desk with a Laptop on it, a black leather chair behind it, in which his partner had already taken place, and two guest chairs in front of it. No windows, no bookcases, no art on the walls. “A dangerous combination, especially for a guy who had nothing a few years ago and suddenly, he becomes a millionaire overnight. Now he´s behaving like the future governor, thinking he´s untouchable.” He moved around, careful not to touch anything.

“Let´s go!” Her voice interrupted his thoughts. He spun around quickly. “That weren´t even five minutes”, he amazed, but moved toward the door. One thing he learned about his partner was that she was good with a keyboard. Nearly dreadful good.

“Three and a half. The system protection wasn´t as difficult as expected, it was rather easy to get in.” Carefully, she closed the door behind her. As fast as possible, they tried to make their way back to the stairs, hoping that their host still thought security guards were overrated.

Of course, they would run out of luck and into someone. Steps were heard on the stairs, followed by muffled talking. “Damn!” He stopped and looked around. “We have to hide somewhere until they´re gone.” But they were in the middle of an open hall, with several paintings on the wall, but no doors in sight.

“We won´t make it back to the office, and if they catch us there…” She did not have to finish her sentence for Thomas to understand that their presence in the office could not be explained. They needed to think of something, fast. “Do you have a plan?”

“I have. I´m just not sure what you´ll think about it.” Thomas looked at her at he whispered. “If this plan of yours helps us out of here without getting caught or arrested, I´m all for it.”

“Do me a favour and remember that before you kick me into next week. “Why would I…” Before she had time to finish her sentence, she had been pressed against the wall next to them, one hand cupping her check, the other on her waist.

It only took her a split-second to figure out his plan. It was a good distraction, one she had used in the past to avoid getting caught where she should not have been in the first place. She looked at him and saw the question in his eyes. He´s a good man, she thought. Even if him kissing her would provide a distraction, making their presence on this floor unsuspicious, he would not force her to do anything against her will. He was waiting for her.

She didn´t push him away. She could have. But instead, she gripped the lapels of his jacket and pulled him to her. This is just a distraction, she thought, ignoring the voice in her head telling her that her thoughts about him weren´t simply platonic anymore. You´ve done this before. But not with him, she thought before she closed her eyes.

A muffled sound left his lips before he deepened the kiss, removing his hand from her cheek to join this other on her waist. A part of him has expected her to refuse, to push him away.

The feeling of his warm, callous hands on her bare pressing her body to his was overwhelming. She let go of this jacket and put her hands around his neck. Fire ran through her body and she couldn´t hold back a moan as it escaped her lips.

The only thing that counted right now was Juliet. He could feel her hand holding onto his neck, the other clutching his hair. Kissing Juliet was unlike kissing any other woman. He pulled her further to him, trying to remove any space between them.

“Excuse me, but you two should not be here!” An exasperated voice could be heard right next to them.

Unwillingly, they slowly separated. Thomas moved one hand to the back of Juliet’s head and turned her face away from the security guard.

Juliet understood the quiet hint and dropped her head to his shoulder, keeping her face out of sight. Their plan had been to distract their interrupter, and most security guards thought nothing about a man trying to protect his…companion… from being seen by others. Events like this were full of people who thought nothing about attending with someone else than their spouse or looking for a new paramour.

“You should return to the ground floor, or leave, if that´s what you prefer!” The tone made it clear that there would be no other option. “This area is off limits to guests.”

This one clearly took his job seriously, he thought as he observed the guard who stood a few feet away from them and had crossed his arms in front of his chest.

Thomas turned his head back to Juliet, his mouth next to her ear. “Maybe we should leave”, he whispered quietly, but loud enough for the guard to hear. Much out of breath, Juliet nodded against his shoulder and he used the hand still on her waist to turn them around, away from the guard. She lifted her head from his shoulder, making sure keeping her face from the guard, who was still looking at them.

Without haste, they made their way to the stairs. She put her arm around his waist, pulling herself closer to him. They still had to get out of this house, and if pretending to be two people on their way out for some time alone would get them out without catching any more attention, she would not hesitate to keep their cover.

She decided to ignore the voice in her head that told her to kiss her partner again. 


	3. Lost in thoughts

They made it back to the estate without any further incident. Contrary to their usual drives in the Ferrari, this one was taken in complete silence. She wasn´t sure what went on in his head, but her brain was running all kind of scenarios about what had happened.

He kissed her – with her permission, due to the situation they’ve found themselves in – and she liked it far more than she thought she would. It was not nothing, like former undercover assignments as a couple. She had been able to walk away from these without giving it any more thoughts. Getting the assignment done and moving on to the next one. She had been in a relationship during one operation, and still done what was necessary to get the assignment done. It had felt her feeling unsure and afraid. The guilt she had felt was intense, and she didn´t like it. She thought about telling him, but couldn´t bring herself do say it, making it more real than before. She wasn´t sure of he would understand why she had done it, and if he would want to stay with her after she confessed everything.

In the end, she had taken too long to think about what to do. He first went missing, then a week later his body was found. He died believing his fiancée to be the one, the one person that would never cross him, not going behind his back and not to lie to him. Grief and guilt consumed her, leading to her going rouge and in the end, getting disavowed.

After spending more than two years in Hawaii, she knew that she was not the same person anymore. She had found friends who accepted her like she was. No pretending (only about her past with MI6, which they found out after a while) to be someone she wasn´t and didn´t want to be. They included her in their tight circle and refused to let her leave.

_It´s what family does,_ she remembered. Kumu had said this, after the yacht-jacking and the search Rick and TC took on. _They find you, they take you in and are there for you, in good times and bad times. No need to ask for help because they will give it to you._

She had been taught from the moment of her birth that family was all about sharing the same blood. Or belonging to the same class, which coincidently saw many people related to one degree or another. Outsiders were not welcome and definitely not accepted.

MI6 has been her way of running from these people, who didn’t ‘care for individuals. They only cared about their money, their standing and how to advance both. She left and never looked back, didn´t spoke to her birth family again. As they never tried to contact her, she was sure they didn´t care about her anymore.

Did her friend also count as family? She wasn´t sure about this, but for the moment, having friends she could trust without prejudice was enough. Maybe one day, she could call them her family. Maybe one day, she would have a family of her own.

The sound of a car horn pulled her out of her thoughts. She twitched slightly at the noise and looked around. They were just a few minutes away from the estate, which made her uneasy. Would he try to talk to her about the kiss? He had kissed her, and she didn´t know if it had affected him as much as her. Or maybe he felt nothing at all. She wasn´t sure which option terrified her more, him having feelings for her or just being a distraction to him.

They reached the end of the street to the estate and the gate appeared in front of them. The sight made her feeling like running away, while at the same time wishing for her partner to take her in his arms and kissing her until she could no longer think clearly.


	4. Another crazy action

Thomas made sure to keep his face neutral on the drive back to the estate. If Juliet knew where his thoughts went, she would tear off his head. No need to give her any reason to do so. He survived the evening without getting kicked into next week and preferred to keep it that way.

Kissing Juliet had been… exciting. Confusing. Thrilling. Distracting. But it just felt right. And he would not mind kissing her again. To hold her in his arms and make her forget about everything. Make her lose control…He stopped himself before his thoughts drifted away too much.

Thomas wanted Juliet in his life. As his partner in every word. Since she nearly drowned in the Pacific, his thoughts about her moved from being simply a friend to something else. At first, he wasn´t sure how to call these feelings, until he woke up from a nightmare one night.

_He hadn´t been able to reach her and pull her to the surface, stones bound to her feet made her sink faster than he could swim. He tried to call her, but she couldn´t hear him, proceeding to sink deeper to the ground of the ocean._

_He screamed her name again, but she had sunk too deep, barely visible anymore. A few seconds later, she was out of sight. This was when we woke up, shaking and out of breath._

_After he had calmed down a little, he nearly jumped out of his bed, to run to the main house to check on her. But then he sat back down and tried to get his thoughts together. The intensity of the nightmare had scared him. He had nightmares before, but something about this one was unsettling him.  
A few minutes later, he got up and went to stand by the window. He just needed to see if she was alright. When he saw her coming out of the house, dresses in running gear and having Zeus and Apollo with her, he closed his eyes and thanked god that everything was alright. The woman he loves was alive._

_He opened his eyes again and immediately looked for her again. Only then, his last thought came make to him, without warning, but as clear as crystal. He was in love with Juliet._

Juliet was not just any woman. She was special, with a big but hidden heart and loyal until the end. She didn´t trust easily, but once earned, she would move the world for if necessary. She was not like her, she would not deceive him. He was sure of that.

They reached the end of the street to the estate and the gate appeared in front of them. He put in his code and waited until the gate was fully open before continuing to drive.

Without looking at her, he knew that she was nervous but trying not to show it. Apparently, he was not the only one affected by the kiss tonight. He just hoped that she did not regret kissing him.

He parked the car and got out, but Juliet hadn´t moved at all. She still seemed lost in her thoughts, blending out everything around her. This was kind of unusual for her, as she always appeared to be aware of her surroundings, ready to act if necessary.

Just a bit worried, he went around the car and opened the door on her side. Knowing better than to make a rash move – she was capable of kicking his ass after all – he tried calling her name, but it got no reaction from her.

“I don´t mind if you want to sleep in the car, but I would consider it again. Cramped space, no option to lie down and you´ll have serve back pain in the morning. “ No reaction at all. Maybe he had to resort to other means to wake her out of her thoughts.

He kneeled down beside her, put one arm under her knees and the other around her shoulders. Quickly, he lifted her out of the car, stepped back and closed the door with his foot. The noise following the slamming of the door made her wince and finally, she became aware of her surroundings and her current position.

"What are you doing?” She was kind of shocked to find herself in his arms, again.

“Saving you from waking up in pain and frozen to death.” “We´re in Hawaii. Freezing to death is not possible, except if you´re locked in a storage freezer.” “I know, but if you spend the whole night sleeping in the car, you´ll feel stiff and numb. Kinda like frozen bones.” “And how do you know that?” Now she was curious, never having spent a night sleeping in a car. He just grinned, shaking his head a little. “Not telling!” Which told her enough not to ask further. She really didn´t want to know about his past exploits. But she couldn´t deny that being in his arms made her feel warm and belonging. Had he read her thoughts about wanting him to hold her again?

And not to let her go, she added.

During their conversation, he had walked to the front door of the main house. He stopped and let her down. Reminding herself to pay better attention to what was going on around her, she turned to Thomas, who was looking at her curiously and thoughtfully.

She hadn´t protested in the slightest when he carried her to the main house. Which surprised him but gave him a little bit of hope as well. And there was nothing in her look that showed annoyance about his action. Her look was curious mixed with something else but nothing bad. More like careful guarded consent. He later would blame the look in her eyes for making his second or third kind-of-crazy action this evening. Taking a short step in her direction, he lifted his hand and cupped her check.

Before she had time to register what had happened, he pressed his lips softly to hers. Just as quickly he pulled back, taking in her stunned face.

“Good night, Juliet, “he whispered softly and turned around to walk to the guest house.


	5. Action required

She just stood there, unable to move. Shocked that he had kissed her – again -, excited for the same reason and annoyed that he just had walked away until he was out of sight.

Kicking of her shoes just inside the front door, she made her way to the study. Sitting down behind her desk, she resumes the last hours with all its events.

The kiss they shared at the party was one thing. She had been the one who decided to through with his plan, knowing that it was a suitable solution to get out of the situation they´ve found themselves in. That he had waited for her to make the decision was making her feel special and valued.

She had not expected him to kiss her again, much less to walk away. Or to carry her to her door. But why did everything just feel… right? Except for him walking away and leaving her, which was outrageous. What man did something like this? And why? With a sign, she leaned back, put her feet on the desk, which was really unusual for her, and closed her eyes. But everything about this evening went out of order already, so why not just go with it?

A whimper drew her out of her thoughts. Looking to her left, she saw the lads. Zeus and Apollo had found her and were trying to get her attention. They looked at lost as she felt.

“I don´t suppose you have the answers I´m looking for?” Patting their heads, she continued talking to them. Both were good listeners, who always made her feel a little better. “He´s driving me mad, and he knows it! He´s like… I don´t know! This man has too many layers for a normal person to figure out!” But actually, this was something she could understand. As a former spy, she knew that developing another persona and live by it was crucial to surviving.

“Juliet? Is everything alright?” Kumu stepped into the office. She didn´t except to find Juliet back already. Their plans sounded a lot more complicated when they´ve talked about them earlier.

Juliet sighed inwardly. She liked Kumu, but she was not up to questions tonight. “It was easier than we thought and didn´t take that long.”

"So, in and out quickly, but you don´t look satisfied”, she mused and came to the only logical conclusion. “What did he do?”

“Who did what?” Juliet asked back, trying to appear composed and calm. Too bad that Kumu wasn´t falling for it. “Thomas, of course. He´s one of the few who can baffle you like this, and no one else is here tonight.!”

“He doesn´t baffle me, he keeps getting on my nerves and is making my life difficult”, she protested, but it fell on deaf ears.

“Don´t you mean making your life exciting? Giving you back something from your former life, which you´re not totally ready to let go? The option to help people who would not be able to help themselves. You like it and you thrive on it.” Seeing Juliet’s stunned expression, she continued.

“He is a good man who stands up for his beliefs and values. He is playing things low, but there is more to him than you see at first.” Smiling, she turned and prepared to leave the office, but stopped.

“He gets under your skin and confuses you. But believe me, you´re doing the same to him. He just plays it down.” With that, she left the office.

For the second time this evening, Juliet was shocked and unable to move. Where did everything that Kumu just said came from? And why was she able to put everything together without knowing what had happened? Was she that transparent and easy to read?

A soft bark from Zeus pulled her out of her thoughts, again. She looked at her dogs and found looking at her with question. They didn´t understood what was going on tonight with their mistress.

“He just kissed me. He made me feel…precious and important “, she told them absently. “And then, he kissed me again but left before I could do anything. “

Zeus and Apollo met her look with something that could be described best as we know this already. When did her dogs became fans of Magnum? The world must be falling apart.

_If he hadn´t pulled back, you would have kissed him back._

It came without warning, but this time, she was unable to ignore the voice in her head. Too much had happened already. She only knew that she wanted him to kiss her again. Why was she feeling like a teenager before her first date?

She moved before she could think. Her feet took her to the front door. Ignoring her shoes still lying next to the door, she nearly ran in the direction of the guest house. Before she knew, she was in front of the door and raised her hand to knock.

The seconds it took him to open the door felt like hours.

“Higgy? What is going on?” He was perplexed to find her at his door. He had not expected this. He also had not expected her next action.

Juliet didn´t answer. Instead, she took a step into the house, stopped in front of him and took hold of his lapels. Pulling him close to her, she kissed him softly. But in contrast to him earlier, she didn´t plan on pulling back, nor letting him pull back.


	6. Desire meets Desire

He had not expected this. Not at all.

Had he hoped for something like this? Yes.

Her kiss was soft, like his kiss earlier had been, but she made no move to pull away. He knew that walking away had been foolish – and hard – but he had hoped to get a reaction out of her.

He pulled Juliet to him before moving one hand to her cheek. Her hands went from his chest to his neck, holding onto him. A soft moan escaped her lips when he moved his fingers over her bare back.

He pulled back just a little, resting his forehead against hers. “Not that I´m complaining, but what was that for?”

“You kissed me and walked away.” She sounded annoyed and if he was honest, she had every right to. “I.” She took a step, forcing him to take one backwards. “Don´t.” Another step. “Like.” Another step, and he found himself backed against the opposite wall, giving him no chance to escape. “It!” Not that he planned to.

“Would it help if I say sorry?” He said softly, hoping that she would forgive him. He dropped another soft kiss to her mouth, before kissing his way down to her throat.

“Or if I promise never to kiss you and walk away again?” He brought his mouth next to her ear. He felt her shiver and smirked. She was trying to stay serious, but her body spoke another language. He spoke his next words carefully, his voice low and seductive. “Or maybe you´ll forgive me if I´ll be entirely at your mercy?”

Every piece of skin he touched or kissed burned. Her body burnt with fire and she couldn´t get enough. She didn´t knew how he did it, only that she wished for him to continue. Realising that she had not given him an answer, she decided that actions were better than words. Claiming his lips, she kissed him, hard and demanding. He answered with equal passion, gripping her waist to pull her even closer. She could feel his entire body pressed against hers, trying to eliminate any space between them.

Moving his hands to her neck, he untied the bow and moved them out of the way. Touching the exposed skin, he stopped at her collarbone and started to work on the zipper of her waist. Which wasn´t easy, given that she was currently working on the buttons of his shirt, touching the newfound skin on her way down.

Her dress pooled at her feet, leaving her bare except for her black panties. He pulled back from the kiss, trying to catch his breath. What was she doing to him?

She opened her eyes and looked at him. His eyes were darker than usual, not holding back any feeling. She could see pleasure, excitement, arousal, and hope in his look. He wanted her and had made his intentions clear. Even if she tried, she would not be able to resist him.

Stepping out of her dress, she pulled him with her and turned in the direction of the stairs. The couch in his living room might be closer but has less room than the comfy bed upstairs. And she preferred more space than the couch for what she has planned for the rest of the night.

“Are you sure?” Good, this man was one in a million. What had taken her so long to notice that? “I am”, she replied, moving to kiss him again. Instead, she found herself mid-air in his arms. Before she had the chance to process his action, he was already moving up the stairs.

* * *

The sunshine fell through the open curtains and warmed her skin. Juliet could hear the waves, mixed with the chirping of birds. She nestled deeper into the bed, having no desire to get up this early. But it seemed like someone was awake as well and thought that being asleep was a waste of time.

Thomas was kissing his way up her spine while his hand moved around her waist, his fingers barely grazing her skin. Goose bumps appear on every bit of skin he touched, and she couldn´t help but squirm. What he did to her should be illegal. How was he able to know what she needed, what the body desired after just one night?

To be fair, she had been more than clear about this last night, not holding back and letting him know what exactly he did to her. He had not expected this, but quickly found out what she liked and needed from him. He didn´t held back as well, letting her know what she did to him. She found out that his suggestion of being at her mercy was not just a phrase. He surely enjoyed her taking control, as well as being in control.

“I know you´re awake.” He had reached her ear and took her earlobe between his teeth. “It´s not nice to pretend to be asleep.”

She turned to her back and looked at him. “You´re doing a rather good job of waking me up.” No giving him a chance to answer, she pulled his head down and kissed him.

_Girls just wanna have fun._

“Oh no.” He buried his head in her neck. “What?” “I´m supposed to meet Rick and TC at the beach.”

“Sound like you´re running late, as usual.” She teased.

_Pling. Pling. Pling._

“And that is probably them asking where you are and when you´ll be there.”

“So, they´ll have to wait…” He broke up at the next sound.

_A siren._

“That is not them. That is the alarm for entering the gate code wrong!” He turned away from Juliet and moved to the side of the bed to get his phone out of the pocket of his pants.

Unlocking his phone, he saw a bunch of text messages and opened the first one. Quickly, he opened the rest of them. That is not good, he thought.

“Thomas?” Juliet came up behind him. Wordlessly, he handed her the phone with the open messages.

_TM, pick up your phone!_

_Wake up, you´re in trouble!_

_The FBI is here and wants to talk to you._

_Can´t reach Higgy, these guys said no one answered the bell. You know where she is?_

_Don´t word, this is just me entering a wrong code, gives you time. Told them you changed the codes recently and forgot to tell us the new one._

She looked at Thomas. Whatever the FBI wanted, both knew that it was most likely nothing good. Private investigations and government agencies didn´t mix well.

He let himself fall back on the bed with a sigh. “Not really how I expected the morning to go.”


	7. Past

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This happens after 1x09 and 1x19, but has elements from 1x15 and 1x20

What a day, he thought. Or rather days. How else should someone describe the crazy days he just had?

Arrested by the FBI for distributing counterfeit money, after his plans for the morning have been interrupted, twice, an hour- long interrogation about his latest client, the double-murder scene and finally, the news about his ex-girlfriend being on the island.

Hannah had cornered him and Juliet but had left before he had the chance to get answers to the questions that plagued him for years. Her betrayal still hurt. Betraying him was one thing, but his friends – and once her friends – payed the price as well. All of them still had to deal with their imprisonment. It was over, but in their heads, it still came to life from time to time. He wished to forget while knowing that he would never be able to.

Forgiving Hannah would be impossible. She had managed to make sure she was still part of his life even if he did not wish to. He could not forget her, not after everything she had done to him. It was all just an act for her.

He was tired but was determined not to sleep before he saw his friends. Visits in hospitals were nothing new for them as they weren´t able to stay out of trouble. It followed them all the time.

He shifted carefully, trying not to tear the bullet- would on his shoulder. Getting shot by Hannah, which was another point he would not be able to forget, hurt as much as her betrayal. And spending the flight from Myanmar to Hawaii bleeding and in pain was not comfortable. A little distraction would not hurt.

* * *

He heard her ask the nurse if they could have a moment alone, after their friends had left. “How are you doing?”

“I´ll be fine. Just need to get out of here.”

She moved closer and leaned on the rail. It was not often that she didn´t knew what to say – spending time in boarding school and being trained in the art of conversation was useful for something – but this was different. She was just starting to explore her feelings and trying to figure them out. Hannah being thrown in the mix certainly didn´t help. She knew that she knew only the basics about Afghanistan, which was enough to get worried.

“After the last days, you have every right not to be alright. Your… fiancée… appeared out of the blue and shot you.”

“Ex-girlfriend. I never asked her, never found the right moment. And then it was too late.” He paused. “I want to forget, but I´m not sure I can. Even if all was just an act from her.”

“Did Robin knew about Hannah?” He had not expected this question. Who did she make the connection? Robin only knew the barest details, just knew Hannah by name, but nothing else.

“When he told me you´re coming to stay at the guest house, he gave me a heads up. And he said, “Handle with care”. Then, I wasn´t sure what he meant, and when we first met, you really didn´t seem broken or hurt. But you know… first impression can be wrong, and appearances can be deceiving. I should know.” The last part she just whispered, and he knew that she was talking about Viper alias Ian. Her former mentor who shot her fiancée and then pretended to be a friend to her.

“Some people are really good at lying. The longer you life a lie or life with a lie, the more real it becomes. But in the end, everyone will get hurt. Even people who have nothing to do with it.”

“Do you think you can forgive her? Forget everything she had done to you?”

“No. I´ve tried but burying things will just hurt you more. More so if everything comes back.”

“We live with other people’s mistakes and bear the consequences they should carry themselves.” Phrased like this, it sounded easy, but reality was another thing.

“But we decide how much it affects us. And who is part of our life. Past, present and future.” He reached out and took her hand in his. Actions, in this case, said more than words.

She turned her head and looked at him. The phrase _No words required_ came to her mind. Her past did not have to decide her future. Only if she wanted.

Squeezing his hand, she tried to tell him without words.

His smile told her that he understood what she meant. No words required, indeed.

“Excuse me, but visiting times are over.” A nurse appeared in the door and looked at them. She clearly wasn´t happy to find Juliet in his room. He decided that she may have the authority to clear the room and there was nothing he could do about it. He pulled her closer and dropped a kiss to her hand.

“When I´m out of here, will you go out to dinner with me?” He had wanted to ask her for some time, always being curious how a real date would be for them. No hacking, no phones, just them. Seeing her smile, she didn´t look opposed to the idea.

“Yes, but only when you´re out of here AND cleared for normal activities!”


	8. Present

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next part of the conversation from prologue...

_“And you. still decided to start working together- “_

_“Yes. “_

* * *

“I don´t think this is a good idea.”

“Why not? We make a good team. We´ve worked more than a dozen cases together already. Your skills and mine, we complement each other.” Thomas paused, but Juliet had already formulated her next thought on his proposal about becoming business partners.

“I don´t think it´s a good idea to mix our personal life with a professional one.”

“It could be, but what if everything worked out? Our relationship and us being business partners?”

“We don´t know…”

“No, we don’t. But we can try and find out.”

“And what will happen if it doesn´t work out? What will happen to _us_?”

His reply died on his tongue. He had not expected this from her. Juliet often appeared collected and in control of everything, looking like even a state crisis couldn´t rattle her while at the same time already working on a solution which of course would work out perfectly.

She was uncertain and a little scared. He could see it in her eyes when she looked at him. She wanted to make their relationship work, to have it last. That he didn´t doubt. But at the same time, her past experiences with relationships were not exactly ideal – neither were his – and this made her feel apprehensive. Mixing their relationship with business might increase this feeling for her. To make a relationship work with ghosts hanging over them was hard enough but adding another kind of relationship to it could be too much.

He looked at her. The guarded look on her face was too familiar to ignore as behind it were vulnerability. She was trying not to let it show, but he could read her expression rather good by now. Spending so much time with your partner – _girlfriend, he corrected,_ \- provided much insight.

“Okay.” He had said it quietly, but she still heard it. Slowly, the faced him, trying to find out what he meant. His face showed resignation. “If you don´t want to be business partners, that´s fine. I won´t force you.” He moved around the desk and stopped in front of her.

Juliet was just a little surprised. Thomas was a good man, she knew that already. But he proved again and again how good, giving everything and asking for nothing in return. How did he understand her feelings so well? _She wasn´t sure if she deserved him at all._

“Thomas, I… you…. we…” She was trying to figure out how to say what went through her head. But she couldn´t find the words. Instead, she stepped closer and hugged him.

She felt his arms around her waist, holding her tightly. Closing her eyes, she let herself fall. He was always able to make her forget everything by just holding her.

He pulled back slightly and rested his forehead against hers. “I understand”, he whispered. This woman was everything he wanted, wished for, hoped for.

He still had trouble to believe that she shared his life, even after more than six months together. Calling her his girlfriend didn´t seem to be enough – She was more than just that. He promised himself to let her know how much she meant to him.


	9. Childhood, nightmares, and favours

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The longest chapter so far... I couldn´t find a way to split it.  
> References to 1x09

* * *

“Stop!” she screamed as she abruptly sat up. Gasping for breath, she looked around wide eyed. She could feel her heart racing and her body was shaking.

It had been some time since she had a nightmare. They used to happen quite often, but she had been relieved when they stopped a while ago. The last time she had one was after she found who had murdered Richard. It had shown her loss again, her reason for running away and hiding here, separated from friends and work. Life was fragile and could be taken away quickly.

“You´re alright?”

Her first thought was to insist _I´m fine_ , right before snapping _Do I look like I´m alright?_ at him. She didn´t like being exposed and vulnerable in front of others, not even Thomas. It made her feel week, something she had learned the hard way, not only at MI6.

“Juliet?”

Same voice, same tone. Asking without interrogating, pleading without pushing. Soft, caring, worried. His voice made her feel welcome and warm. He wanted to help her but was waiting for a sign from her. Not a bad idea as scenes from her nightmare were still flashing through her head. Hurting him was the last thing she wanted and her instincts to protect herself were still sharp.

Slowly, she moved her left hand in his direction. Just as slow, he took her hand in his and squeezed it. He just wanted her to show that he was there to support her. But he knew all to well that after a nightmare, it was important to let the other person decide what to do. Scaring her would only make it worse.

“It was just a bad dream.” Hopefully, telling her where she was would help. As far as he remembered, she hadn´t had a nightmare in a while, at least not since they were together. But he wasn´t sure as they had spent some night apart and he knew that she was really good in hiding her discomfort. Choosing his words carefully, he continued. “No one is here. You´re safe. You´re home.”

Even though her breaths were still too fast, he noticed that she started to calm down a bit. Her body relaxed and she moved from her stiff position. A slight pull on his hand showed him that she wanted him near her, to hold her. Asking for comfort was not easy for her but he knew that she wished for it.

Sliding forward, he sat next to her and lay an arm around her shoulders, pulling her to him.

“It’s okay,” he soothed, rubbing her back. “You’re alright.”

Earlier, after she had told him that Amanda went home but would be back in the morning, she had left the guest house. He knew what she was trying to do. Hiding her feelings, showing no emotion and just move on. Juliet was incredibly good at keeping up a façade and for others, it looked like she didn´t care at all. Sometimes she tried to keep emotions at bay to avoid getting too attached to someone. She had been hurt in the past which was still haunting her. Letting herself care for someone was hard for her.

He knew that she cared for him. He found out that the deeper she buried something, the more intense it turned out. And her feelings for him were nothing less than true and deep. Even without words, - action do speak louder than words, she would say, - he understood her.

They were so different and similar at the same time. He was not afraid to show feelings or emotions but there were a few things he did not show to everyone. This was only for his _Ohana_ do know.

“Do you want to talk about it? You don´t have to but it could help.” He paused. “Is it the abduction of Amanda?” Being abducted and hold against your will was not something that could be forgotten. He still remembered those months as war prisoners, was forced to live through it again in his dreams which turned into nightmares.

“Amanda… myself… my father… children…being abducted…. Why does adults hurt young, innocent children? Why does children have to deal with mistakes of others?” Her voice broke. He turned slightly and put his arms around her. It hurt a lot seeing her like this. He wasn´t exactly sure what she meant but it clearly was something that happened when she had been a child.

She hugged him, desperate for the physical contact. Nightmares always left her exposed and without defence. It was not easy to see what was real and what was not real.

Amanda was a brave young person, she had found out after spending some time with her. She retreated to her shell but now decided to fight against it. But she still couldn´t help but think that Amanda was an innocent girl whose childhood ended too early and in a brutal way. She didn´t deserve that. No child did.

“Being alone, away from everything you know is hard. I was twelve when my mother died. My father wasn´t really bothered by her death. Or me.” She paused. “English upper class is all about status and money. Few people care about anything else. My father sent me to boarding school when I was thirteen. For the next six years I only went home of holidays, and most of time only the major holidays.”

“I was alone, no one cared about me. At school, it was all about grades and behaving properly. Counselling young people was only done if they misbehaved or broke the rules. You had to function, to show that you were worth attending the school.” She stopped and took a breath. It became easier from time to time. “We weren´t children, no matter our age. They saw us as young adults and expected us to behave accordingly.”

It made him angry, hearing about her childhood and what she had lived through. He moved slowly back and lied down on the bed. He softly tugged at her hand and she moved back as well, lying her head on his chest. Putting one arm around her back, he moved his other hand to her waist, holding her against him.

“I know that these things have nothing to do with each other. Amanda wasn´t abandoned but abducted against her will. Her parents love her and try everything to help her. She had the chance to get through this, with the support of her parents, us, HPD. I just… buried all of my experience and tried to move on.”

“After university, I was recruited to MI6. My family had been happy that I went to Cambridge and no options about paying for it. They thought paying for your education and showering you with money meant the same as showing that they love you.” Money could buy a lot, but not the love of others. Another lesson she learned early. “I kind of disappeared after graduation. Just told them that I would not come back to them and had no plan to work in any family business.”

“At MI6, I had the advantage of being able to show almost no emotion. Boarding school took care of this and it just worked for my work.” “Some of my missions were easier than others. Surveillance was done a lot and most of it without any incident but then they began to give me more work. Getting close to targets or contacts, working undercover.” In later years, she had no trouble working undercover. But the first ones were the hardest.

“I had been abducted a couple of times on missions. Just days. No more than a week. Comparing to other cased, it was nothing. Back-up was always near and I knew that it would not take long for them to find me.”

“Even if it´s just an hour or a minute, every abduction leaves something behind.” The hand on her waist had moved behind her – his – shirt and he caressed it softly. He wasn´t talking about clues or wound. That, unfortunately, happened every time. But invisible damage was the bigger problem. It led to fears, nightmares, and a lot of other problems.

“Hearing Amanda today, I could partly identify myself with her, some more than others. And my subconscious mind connects these things and makes me live through scenarios that didn´t happen. Alone, with no protection and no one to listen to you. No one to help. And too young to understand what happened and why they choose you.”

“Why do people do all this to children? They should care for them, love them. Not use them as means to an end!” She brushed away a tear. Children were something precious. She had been families, living happily with their children, loving, and cherishing them. Like it should be.

All cased which involved children were different from others. Too often they got caught in the middle, not able to understand why. And help was not always possible or too late for the child. To walk away and leaving this behind was not easy for him. Children deserved better.

“That´s why we´re here. We help people who can´t help themselves. I don´t like it, but often, children need more help than we know. Just to listen to them can help. We can be there for them, protect them. Make sure that they see what is right or wrong. Help our children grow up.”

She tensed before raising her head from his shoulder to look at him. _Our children_ he had said.

"Do you want children?”, she asked, her voice a little shakier than usual.

“I think so, yes.” He reached out and moved a strand of her hair behind her ear. _He couldn´t help put thinking about little girl, looking like her mother. Growing up with a family that loves her, cherished and precious._ “What about you?”, he asked quietly.

She had given thought to kids once already which didn´t happen. It still haunted her that there was nothing she could have done. After that, she had kept away from children as much as possible. Given her childhood she thought it was the best way to protect herself from losing and hurt. But Thomas had a way to draw her out of her shell and showing her that not every past experience had to rule your present and future. Maybe this was true for having children as well?

“I´m not saying no”, she started, deciding that telling him the truth was the only way to continue this conversation, “but ask me again sometime? In a few years?” Hopefully, he would understand what she wanted to say.

He laughed slightly. “I wasn´t taking about tomorrow." He pressed a kiss to her forehead. "More about… long-term, couple of years in the future.”

““That would be alright”, she whispered before dropping her head kissing him softly.

He pulled back first. There was something else she needed to know, to understand. “But can you do me a favour?”

“A favour? You´re asking for a favour now?” Since she declined his offer on becoming his partner, he still had asked for favours. But he kept them separate from their relationship, never trying to get there to do something using their relationship.

“It´s not about work”, he assured her, looking her in the eye. He would not use their relationship like this. “If you´re not feeling well or have a nightmare, I´m here for you. If you need to talk, tell me, or give me a call. I promise I´ll always answer. Or if you want me just to hold you, come to me. I´ll always be there.” No one would be able to keep him away from her, in good times or bad times.

She already knew that he would always be there for her. To hear him say it was something different. Another step in their relationship.

“Only if you promise to do the same when you need it”, she answered. She would not let him suffer alone when he would provide every kind of help, she may need.

“I promise!” With that, he kissed her again before wrapping his arms around her again. They would be able to help each other, he was sure of that.


	10. Plans

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally, another chapter was planned. But this works better for the whole plot.  
> Most of 2x03 will happen over the next two chapters, but with an interesting twist.

* * *

“What are you doing?”

He entered the guest house after returning from the beach and his morning surf, finding his girlfriend/ partner/ significant other/ other half in the living room, moving around, and tidying up the already neat room. This was unusual, as both respected the agreement to give the other space. Or, in her words, he should not expect here to clean up his mess.

He would say they were on the way of living together but had not moved in with each other. Although, most of her things happened to find their way before her officially moving in. Clothes, toiletries and even her laptop could be found in the guesthouse more often than not.

He was surprised at first but it didn´t bothered him, not really. He loved spending time with her and as she told him a few weeks ago, she liked spending time in the guest house. It offered them more privacy than the main house where the staff had access to various parts of the house. Their relationship was their thing in her mind, and she preferred to keep it as private as possible.

This was the opposite of what he thought as he was not afraid to be more open about his feelings for her. They had talked about this – more like argued – and agreed to keep it between them for now. They had known each other for about two years now but were still getting used to each other on a whole different level. Her behaviour of wanting her own space, being afraid to overstep the line by being in his house more often than not and actually leaving her things there was something he had to tread carefully.

He didn´t doubt her feelings for him but she had been hurt in the past, like he had. They were in this for the long run but who said they had to rush forward with the speed of light?

But, he thought as he observed her, oblivious to him, he wouldn´t mind taking this further. Like her moving officially in with him. Maybe he should ask her. Hopefully, she would not avoid this topic or say no without thinking it through. “Higgy?”

When he still hadn´t got a reaction or any kind of acknowledge from her, he walked over to her and stopped in front of her.

Juliet nearly jumped back when he stepped in front of her. She hadn´t heard him coming on. She took of her headphones and laid them on the couch table.

“We´re having guest this weekend.” She was sure she had told him this a few days ago already. “Who´s visiting?” Looks like she forgot about it. Or it could be that he had distracted her when she planned to tell him…

“The son of Robins publisher and his fiancée. Robin wrote me and asked if we can let them stay here for the weekend.” She didn´t see a problem in the request, it wasn´t the first time that guests were staying at the estate.

When she didn´t receive an answer, she turned around and found him looking at her, but he appeared more lost in his thoughts.

“Does Robin have a new publisher?”

She didn´t expect this question. “Not to my knowledge, he worked with only one publisher since his first book.” “Why are you asking?”

“We´ve met his publisher, three years ago. His son was also there. “He smiled as he remembered these days. “Rick was the one who introduced a good friend to him, and they hid off immediately. They got married just six months later and are still married.” He paused in order to collect his thoughts. “So why would he decide to visit with his fiancée?” This information was new to her. Robin was one of the people she trusted without doubt, but she wasn´t really involved in this writing activities. But there was one time she had to keep him from writing a book about a female hero.

“Can I see the mail? Maybe there is something in it that will help us.

She took her phone and opened the mail. Not totally convinced that there was something wrong, but she had learned to trust him. He knew Robin as well as herself or maybe a little better than her. They had spent some time in a war zone and the White Knight books were based on him. That demonstrated a deep relationship and trust between them. “What are you looking for?”

“During his time as a war journalist, we were responsible for his protection. Because in a war zone, anyone may get captured and used as hostage.” He tried to blend his own memories out and focus on the situation on hand. “We´ve showed him some things, a code, some gestures. Something for him to communicate in hidden plain sight. We´ve hoped it would not attract attention from the enemy…”

“… but an insider or a friend would be able to read him and understand what he would try to say.” She was impressed. This was something she did not expect. Due to her family background, she had been shown what to do and what not to do should she find herself in a hostage situation. A blink, a sneeze or just moving her hand in a certain way would say a lot about the situation and not being noticeable as communication to an outsider.

Of course, her early training had been polished when she started working at MI6. “It´s quite common for some people with a certain background. Everyone has their own way of communication.” She didn´t want to elaborate any more, preferring to keep her family background in the dark for now. But she knew that she had to tell him one day.

He wanted to know what she was talking about but decided to wait for now. They had more pressing matters to handle at the moment.

“If he was abducted and forced to write this mail, he would use single letters to hide his message.” He took the phone from her and scrolled through the mail. “A big letter made into a small one, or just one letter in a word slightly smaller than the others. He´s a writer, he knows how to use the keyboard without gaining attention.” Finding nothing unusual, he decided to ask for help.

“I´ll ask Rick to call his friend. We should be able to find out what is going on here.”

“I´ll start tracking the mail. Maybe I can find out from where is was sent.” She took her phone as Thomas took his own from his pocket. “And I think you should take a shower after that. Before you carry any more sand into the house.” She locked at his feet, covered in sand. More often than not, he forgot his shoes when he went out on the surf ski. But shoes and sand didn´t belong together, in his opinion.

“So? We´re right next to the beach.” “Yes, but I would prefer if the sand stays on the beach.” Her voice made it clear that she would accept no argument from him.

He turned and made his way to the stairs so he could take a shower. Just before the stairs, he stopped and turned back in her direction. She was still standing in the middle of the living room, typing on her phone. He decided to take advantage of her being distracted. As silently as possible, he started to move back in her direction.

“No.”

He stopped. So much for his plans. This was one of the times he hated that she had been a spy once.

“What do you mean?” She would not fall for the innocent act, but maybe…

She turned her head and looked at him, a warning in her eyes. “Don´t act all innocent. We both know what you are trying to do.”

“Do we?”

“We do.” She pocketed her phone and directed her steps to the front door. She could have used the open patio door but couldn´t resist to tease him. She had anticipated that he would try to tempt her to join him in the shower, but they had to find out if Robin in danger or not. She really hoped that this was just a misunderstanding or some crazy fan who tried to get intel on the next novel.

She stopped right next to him, bringing her mouth next to his ear. She leaned in but kept her body inches away from him. He was not the only one who had a hard time keeping his hands to himself.

“Maybe…” she dropped her voice to a low whisper, knowing exactly what she was doing to him, “…we won´t have guests tonight after all. I would have you all to myself.”

He swallowed. Having his girlfriend tease him like this and hearing about her plans for tonight, he had a hard time to stay focused. Of course, this didn´t escaped her attention. She smirked and nipped gently at his earlobe. He closed his eyes.

“Maybe there will be time for this shower….” She pressed a light kiss on the skin right under his ear. Hearing his sharp breath, she smiled. Raising her head, she stepped away. “Tonight!” With that, she opened the door and left the guest house.

Frozen on the spot, he tried to come back to his senses. This woman would be the death of him, so much was sure.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter: They´re making more plans...


	11. Secrets

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I´m back! I´ve never meant to wait so long to post a new chapter, but real life (read:work) got in to way. It didn´t left any time to write, not even read other stories. But now, everything is looking better so I can continue this stroy. I plan to post another chapter this weekend!

* * *

An hour later they met back in the guest house. Juliet had finished her search on the email and was sitting on the couch, her laptop on the table before her, while Thomas was on the phone with Rick to find out if he knew anything about his friend.

"So, Rick will call Amelia and see what she has to say about this." He sat down in the chair next to the couch. "Did you find something out?"

"The mail was not from Robin." She turned her laptop to him and continued to stare at the opposite wall. "It was sent from another provider and my reply was redirected as well. For normal people, nothing looks out of the ordinary." While she knew that it was not her fault – hers and Robins communication took place via mail, they used the phone far less – she couldn´t help but feel responsible.

Thomas looked up. He has already suspected that Juliet would try to take the blame for this situation even if it was not her fault at all. Mails and other messages could be manipulated easily if you had someone with computer experience.

"Hey." He waited until she turned her head and looked at him. "None of this is your fault. And I know that Robin would say the same."

"I know that´s it not my fault. But I´m not used to being used like this." To many times she had felt used by other people, even people she trusted. She promised herself not to let is happen again and always double check if someone asked her for something.

She wasn´t sure how, but Thomas had managed to break down her walls with his countless request for favours. He had asked for her help, her expertise, her experience. But, as she realised now, he never had asked for himself. He never used her for his own personal gait, it was always for a case and to help others.

While she thought that he should sometime make sure to get paid for this work, she understood his intent and why he worked like this. He had received much in life already and wished to give others the same. Friendship, a family, riches beyond money and status symbols. It was a trait that she admired about him.

"We can´t change the situation. But whoever is behind this, we can stop them." Thomas had noted that her mind was elsewhere and tried to pull her out of it. He wished that she would understand that this situation was not her fault and there had been no reason not to trust the supposed mail from Robin. They now had the intel they needed and could prevent further damage. First, they would have to make a plan who to stop whatever the culprits had planned and second, they needed to call in reinforcements.

"What do you suggest? We don´t know how many are behind this. Two against an unknown number is hardly fair and I would like to have an advantage, if possible."

"Don´t worry about this, everything is under control." He didn´t elaborate further as he already had his phone in hand and dialled the first number.

"Hey, it´s Magnum. I want to report a future break-in."

* * *

An hour later, on the porch of the main house, three individuals were not able to take their eyes of what happened in the study.

Thomas Magnum and Juliet Higgins, who were known for their bickering – or flirting, if you asked them – were working very much in tandem, side by side without any snappish comment from her or joke from him.

They had a lot pf papers in front of them on the desk, at which they kept looking, pointing out things on different papers. On the side wall, a card of the estate and surrounding grounds was hanging, showing red crosses and black lines drawn all over the map.

"Anyone knows what they´re doing?"

"Either they´re planning a break in or they´re looking for a new security system."

"Why would they break into their own home? They have access to everything here."

"For the kick? Excitement? Trying to find out if they could do it and get away with it?"

"Maybe being private investigators has become too boring."

"Thomas is known on the island as the PI for unusual cases. He looks for a cat and finds a dead body. Another time, he tested a high-end security system and found himself in the middle of an art heist and a murder. Not to mention he was a suspect. And you want to tell me their life is boring?"

"Well, mine certainly isn´t." Kumu broke up the bantering between Rick and TC.

"Seeing them bickering every day was entertainment enough. But since they´re dating, it´s more like watching two teenagers sneaking around each other, hoping their parents won´t catch them making out."

"Dating!?"

"Making out?!"

A shocked Rick and a nearly speechless TC turned to Kumu. Kumu, meanwhile, noticed that apparently, she had let out a secret. "This is what I would say. They´ve left the Nest many evenings and did not return until after midnight. And Juliet is spending a lot of time in the guest house. Other than the study, I´ve not seen her in the main house that often in the last months."

"Are you alright?", she asked after not receiving an answer from either of them.

"Our friends are dating, without telling us, their friends." Rick was nor really angry, more amused at the secret he has just been told. He always thought that Thomas and Juliet would just be what the other needed. It looks like he had been right.

"Maybe they wanted to keep it a secret", TC offered as an explanation. Going public could ruin everything you try to make work in a relationship, after all.

"They didn´t!" Katsumoto had heard the last comments and added this own explanation. "They just didn´t advertise it and kept the PDA to a minimum.

"And you know this..."

"Because I watch people for a living. Every time I meet Magnum, I have to watch like a hawk than he didn´t get in the way of an investigation. And she", she pointed to Juliet, who was standing in front of the map, "is with him every time."

"Huh." TC wondered how he had missed the change in their relationship. Higgy may be able to hide her feelings and emotion pretty well, but Thomas was an open book. He didn´t care about showing his emotions, much less his feelings for a woman.

"What are you doing here?" Rick was curious, as his earlier theory about Thomas and Higgy planning to break into the Nest went out the window. Why would they call the police if they planned a break in?

"Magnum called and reported a future break in." He didn´t knew much more, only that someone was after Robin Masters possession, somehow. "I´m here to find out more, sine as usual, Magnum didn´t share more than necessary."

"Then we should find out what is going on!" Kumu went to the patio door to join Thomas and Juliet, waiting for the others to follow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Spoiler Alertfor next chapter: A not so nice surprise for the so-called guests


	12. Laying in wait

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the promised update part one. Part two will be posted tomorrow or Tuesday. The proof-reading somehow turned into a chapter with about 2000 words, so i decided to split it into two parts. Enjoy!

* * *

“So, someone decided to impose your boss to get access to the estate, but we don´t know what they want?”

Katsumoto was still not convinced but hat to admit that everything he had been told in the last fifteen minutes made sense. Robin Masters was a famous, world-wide known author. His wealth and success were not a secret even if few people knew the actual numbers. He suspected both significantly higher than rumoured.

In order to get behind the security system of the estate, set up of a former MI6 agent and a former navy seal, in combination with the newest software available on the market, serious backing was needed. This meant that they had to be fast and careful.

“Yes, we just know that two of them will be here later. They plan to pretend to be the son of Robins publisher and his fiancée. Thanks to Thomas and Rick, we know that the son is actually married and doesn´t have any plan to come to Hawaii soon.”

“Amelia nearly cut of my head for asking if she would come to Hawaii!” Rick still remembered her answer about his innocent question. But in hindsight, it was not the best action to ask a woman who was nine months pregnant if she planned to get on a ten-hour flight anytime soon, in the middle of summer no less. He knew that Amelia had a flair for dramatic, which he didn´t mind, but right now, he was relieved to be on the other side of the earth.

“Any luck with the mail that was sent in Robin´s name?” Like Rick, TC hadn´t hesitated to help Thomas and Juliet. They were all friends with Robin and although he still wasn´t sure about the exact nature of relationship between Robin and Juliet, he trusted them both.

“Juliet stopped typing and looked up. “No, I´m not able to find any more clues about the sender. “Whoever did this, is good!” Her frustration was noticeable. They all knew that she was good with computers and to be beaten was not something she liked.

Kumu had listened until know but decided that they needed to stop mulling over what they couldn´t do and start doing what they could to. This group had dealt with situations like this for years, and if she was honest, all of them managed to get into dangerous situations on a weekly basis. “So, what do we do?”

“A trap.” It would be the easiest was to handle this, as no one else knew that they knew the covers was fake. “We let them come here, as it was planned”, Thomas continued. “Juliet and Kumu will dine with them while we´ll keep an eye on all possible entry points of the estate.”

“We should be able to cover the main entry points and install additional cameras at other places. So we can keep watch for accomplices who think that no one is here, except for both of you”, he turned to Juliet and Kumu.

We “, he pointed between Rick, TC and himself, “can keep watch as well.”

“Then let´s set everything up. We only have a few hours before our guests will be here.” Juliet stood up and closed her laptop. Her words send everyone into action, spreading out to their places without needing to make arrangements who would go where. They knew each other´s strengths and weaknesses.

* * *

“Unfortunately, Mister Masters never told me the secret behind the White Knight”.

Until now, their plan had worked without problems. Every room and hallway were covered by camera, making it impossible for anyone to come in and get out without notice. The outside was covered as well, with all of them placed at another point. Juliet and Kumu had earpieces, so they were able to listen to the others. A microphone, hidden in Juliet´s necklace, made sure they could listen to the conversation between the four at the table.

But after hearing their guest asking about the identity of the White Knight, and hearing them inquiring further, Thomas realised that this was not about actual possessions. They wanted to find out who the White Knight was, and that meant they had to deal with some crazy fans or someone who recognised something written in the books. Which could only mean that they had to deal with a former enemy of himself. If he was honest, the second option was more likely.

“We need to get them out of there. I don´t think that they´re just fans of Robin, they´re here for something else. They´re after the books, and the White Knight.”

“I guess you´re right but they don´t know that it´s based on you”, TC agreed.

“No, and hopefully, they won´t find out.” Katsumoto wished, not for the first time, that his life would be less complicated. But trouble followed Magnum, and by extension him, everywhere.

“So, what now?” He would not hide and wait until their guest had enough of not getting the answers they came for. Seeing Juliet in danger (and Kumu, of course) was not something he liked, even if he knew she could handle situations like this.

“Well”, Rick sounded quite breathless as he returned to his given location, “their accomplices will find their car near the front gate out of order.” He simply has shot the tires – he was too far away for cutting them with a knife – so it had been the next best option. “They´ll try to warn them or try to get a new car. But they´ll be busy, so how about we surprise them with handcuffs?”

“HPD is arresting them right now. They tried to avoid a roadblock but HPD has officers hiding off the street.” He couldn´t remember an arrest that went off without a hitch and no one injured. At least, it had been a while.

“So, only two of them left.” TC had kept an eye on the cameras but there was nothing unusual anymore. “How about we take them out?”

“Let´s get Higgy and Kumu out there first. Then we can storm the place.” Saving innocent bystanders were one of Katsumoto´s priorities, as was getting everyone to safety first before storming in an making an arrest. While he knew that Higgins could handle herself in a fight, Kumu was a civilian without combat experience. “Give Kumu a call, tell her that there is an emergency at the cultural centre. She can take the call and leave the table. We just need to wait until she is out of sight.”

“I don´t think we have to call her, they´re leaving the table.” Using his binoculars, Thomas watched Juliet standing up and clearing up the table, with help from Kumu. “They´ll will be distracted, but we need to be fast.”

Staying out of sight, all of them advanced to the patio.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Spoiler Alert: Juliet can´t avoid the water and the guest are leaving...


	13. Without a hitch

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part two of the promised update. Also one of the longest chapters...  
> Next update is planned for the comming weekend.

* * *

Juliet had listened to the conversation between the four man and as they´ve finished their meal, she decided to break up the table and provide enough distraction for them to get in unnoticed. She couldn´t tell them of her plans, but she knew they were watched, so hopefully, one of them would understand what she was trying to do.

After hearing Thomas, she knew that he understood what she was trying to do. Now, she just had to get Kumu out, in case things went sideways.

“Can you keep the bones for the lads?” She handed Kumu one of the platters and, making exe contact, looked in the direction of the office and, by extension, the kitchen.

“They´ll love it!” Kumu, who also had listened in on everything, understood and made her way inside.

Like nothing unusual had happened – or would happen in less then a minute - Juliet continued cleaning the table.

“Do you mind if I ask you something?”, she heard from the woman behind her.

“What would you like to know?”, she answered while putting the glasses on a tablet.

Suddenly, she heard a metallic noise behind her. Recognizing the sound of unlocking a gun, she turned her head around slowly.

“I still want to know who the White Knight is!”

* * *

“I think that was a window”, said TC upon hearing the shattering sound.

“Or someone ran into a glass door”, Rick commented.

“Let´s hope it was one of the impersonators and not Higgins or Kumu.” Katsumoto still hoped that they could make the arrest without so much trouble.

A splash could be heard before he could anyone could reply to his comment.

“Sounds like someone decided to go for a swim!” Thomas was sure whoever dipped into the pool next to the patio, it wasn´t by choice.

“Let´s find out!” At once, they´ve moved forward to the outer edge of the patio.

* * *

“Nice of you to join us.” A soaked Juliet Higgins looked at them, kneeling next to an unconscious woman lying at the side of the pool. She had been looking for something to use to tie her hands, but upon seeing them, stopped and approached them. “I´ll take these, if you don´t mind!” Snatching the cable tired out of Thomas´s pocket, she went packed and tied them around the hands.

Kumu joined them, avoiding the broken glass lying on the floor and a pan in her hand. “The other one might have a concussion.” She pointed inside, where a pair of legs could be seen on the doorway.

Juliet went around Kumu and tied the hands of their other victim as well. While she was happy that their planned “operation” went of without a hitch, there was no reason to be careless.

Standing beside Kumu, who was still holding the pan in her hand, she locked at the four speechless men in front of them. They had stopped at soon as they stepped on the patio, so all of them still had their weapons raised.

“Would you mind?” She gestured to the weapons, indication that she would prefer them to be lowered and with their safety out on. “The danger is gone, and we just need to arrest these intruders.”

Thomas was the first to recover and lowered his arms. “Are you alright?” Both looked fine to him, but he had missed the whole fight. They may have been injured but he did not like the thought. Seeing Juliet hurt was not something he wanted. Kumu of course as well. But nothing indicated that one of them was hurt.

“We´re fine.” Juliet could understand his concern, as she would have been concerned as well. Thomas got more often in trouble than not, not to mention fights. “I couldn´t avoid the pool when she tripped, so we both fell. She avoided looking in the direction of the pool. She had managed to get the upper hand, but it had been just like the way their boar got hijacked. Thrown in the water was not something she liked. Swimming, yes, but not when she was shot or fighting.

Thomas noticed that she tried to keep her voice casual, like she often did. But he also knew that water was a sensitive topic for her, ever since their swim in the ocean. Baths and showers were fine – which reminded him of her earlier promise – but open water was still frighten her. He hoped that this would not lead to a nightmare for her, but if it did, he would be there for her.

“What about the glass?”, questioned Rick. The area between the door and the table was covered in broken glass.

“And why do you have a pan?”, TC asked Kumu.

“Well, I heard you about getting me out of there. So, I went to the kitchen and waited. I heard the glass shattering and grabbed the first thing that could be used as a weapon”, she help the pan up, before setting it down on the table, “and came back out here, just in time to see this guy walking backwards into the room.” She was happy with herself. “I hit him on the head, and he was out.”

“And I just had finished putting all glasses on the tablet when this woman”, pointing to the pool, “pulled a gun on me. So, I took the tablet, threw it in his direction”, she gestured to their unconscious guy, “and then, I disarmed her. But it didn´t stop her from starting a fight.”

“In other words, you did all the work and we´re just here to pick up the pieces.” Katsumoto was pretending to be annoyed. Magnum and Higgins had their fingers in his investigations too often for his liking but this time, they actually ask for his help. And his officers already had the rest of the guys arrested. Not, they just had to take these two into custody. He had already called them in.

“Hey, what is with us?” Rick wasn´t happy to be left out. “I shot the tires and stopped them from fleeing!”

“You did, but don´t forget that the HPD officers were the ones to catch them.”

“Gentlemen”, Juliet decided to break up the discussion before it could start. It was late, there was still the patio to clean up and she was freezing, even in the warm evening. She suppressed a shiver and started to speak again, but was stopped by Magnum, who had collected a towel and put it around her shoulders. She was touched about his care. “How about we finish this up? We´ve had enough excitement for one night, I think!”

Like earlier, her words sent everyone into action just as the HPD officers arrived at the patio. While some of them took the tied-up pretenders away, Katsumoto started questioning Kumu for the official records.

Leaving Rich and TC with the officers, he turned to Juliet, who had the towel tightly wrapped around her. Whishing to hug her, he stepped closer and just stopped before their bodies could touch. “Are you alright?”, he asked for a second time.

She was torn between keeping the distance and hugging him. She was not really comfortable with PDA but on the other side, this was their home. And their friends had an idea what was going on between them, at least. They kept teasing them (thank good not too much) and she knew that Thomas was not afraid to show his feelings. He really wore his heart on a sleeve, but she trusted him completely. He would not let her down.

Decision made, she laid her head on his shoulder. After a second, he put his arms around her waist, trying to get her as warm as possible. “I´m alright, just cold!”

“We need to get you out of these wet clothes. You probably use a hot shower.”

She heard the hidden invitation in this sentence. But while she was not opposed sharing – after all, she had made a promise earlier – she was not in the mood for a shower.

“I would prefer a long, hot bath!” Making sure to keep all teasing out of her voice, she lifted her head and dropped her voice to a whisper.  
  


“Why don´t you join me?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Spolier Alert for next chapter: A mission and a replacement


	14. P.I on probation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter of the second part of the conversation. We´re starting in the middle of episode 2x11. Enjoy!

* * *

Three clients. He had been away for five days and somehow, three clients had tried to call him. As they weren´t able to reach him, one had decided to call the landline, another one had written a letter and the last one had decided to come on person.

She has been surprised. He surely had updated his contact info to show that he would not be available for some time. But apparently this was not enough to stop some potential clients from trying to reach him. When Magnum got back from his mission, he would have a full schedule.

Maybe he would ask her to help him, like he had done before. She didn´t really mind helping him. He just wanted to help other people, no matter the circumstances. This was one of the things she loved about him, his will to help others and put their needs before anything else. Although, sometimes she wished that he would take care of himself as well. Since she met him, she didn´t believe it when he insisted that he was fine. Too often, she found out that he was not fine at all.

Lately, or more precisely since she refused his offer to become his business partner, he had asked again for favours. She kind of expected it, as he has more or less confirmed this after her refusal.

_Her voice had broken the silence between them. She pulled back slightly and watched him questioningly. He opened his eyes and met her look. Curious and waiting. She decided to ask the question that was on her mind. “Does this mean you´ll continue asking me for favours?”  
  
_

_His first thought had been to deny it, she could see this. But she also knew that he knew that she would not believe him. He owed her a lot of favours already. Most likely, he would add a couple more in the future and both of them knew it. “I guess we both know the answer to this question?”_

Yesterday, she had been able to help a young woman finding her biological parents. She had been born in Hawaii but given up for adoption right after birth and taken to the mainland. Now she wished to find out why her biological parents had done this.

Hearing the story, Juliet had decided to help her in Magnums place as time was running. Her client – she decided that it was actually her client – had no children and her adoptive parents were dead, she had told Juliet. She had decided that it was time to find out where she was from, and who she really was.

She could understand her decision, so she nonetheless had help her with the search. Even if it would give Magnum more arguments that she should become his partner. He had not asked her again since she declined but she knew him well enough to see that he still thought they would make a good team. But apparently, he decided not to say anything and let her actions speak for him. So far, he did a good job of convincing her of accept his offer, or more likely she did a good job of convincing herself to become a P.I.

The ringing of her phone pulled her out of her thoughts. Seeing Rick´s name on the display, she accepted the call. Maybe they had news about Thomas and his mission.

* * *

She looked at Captain Greene, standing at his son´s deathbed. She could not imagine the pain of losing a child, less so when this child was taken by force. TC and Rick had told her what happened but she still wasn´t sure why they were here. But maybe, it had something to do with Thomas and why he left five days ago on a mission he couldn´t talk about.

Captain Greene joined them. Sensing their questions, he asked them if they could talk somewhere else. Apparently, this talk was classified. It didn´t help her uneasy feeling.

Once they were away from the patient rooms, he didn´t waste any time and told them about the abduction of his son a week ago.

“His kidnappers were clear. I only would get my son back if I managed to send Magnum on a mission to South America.”

“A mission that was…” “… not sanctioned by the Navy. No back up, no contact on site. The rest of the team was already chosen, but I only got fake names and files in order to make it look legit.”

“You send Thomas on a suicide mission?”

“I had to safe my son!”

“Thomas would have helped you if you asked him! He did it once already, do you remember?”

“I couldn´t…. it´s not the same.”

“No, but Thomas would have helped you again.”

Juliet had kept quiet while Rick and TC tried to make the captain see reason. Now she started to move and stepped between Rick, TC and the captain, her mind already running about what happened and what might happen as soon

He actually stepped back when he saw the dark look on her eyes. He didn´t knew her but apparently, she was a good friend of them and someone they trusted.

“Two hours!”, she stated, her voice leaving no doubt how serious she meant it. At his questioning look, she continued. “You have two hours to send us everything. Every recording, picture, video. The files you were given. And everything else, no matter how small or insignificant if may seem.”

“Why do you want all this?”

“I´m planning on going there and bring Thomas back. For this, I need all the information you have.” Seeing him try to protest, she didn´t give him a chance to say anything. “Don´t try to stop me. This is your mess, and while part of me can understand your action, I can´t approve them. You send a good man, who would have dropped everything and helped you finding your son, to his death!”

“He might be already death.” It was hard, but it was the truth.

“If he is alive, I´ll get him home. If he is dead, I´ll bring his body back!” If Thomas was dead, he deserved a proper funeral. No empty casket, she couldn´t go through this again. Turning on the spot, she made her way out of the building. She had a mission to plan and could not afford to waste any time.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Spoiler Alert for next chapter: More scenes of 2x11 - but their trip ends not without a scratch...


	15. Flying home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Change of plans - as we all know what happened in 2x11, I skipped writing scenes from the episode into this after proof-reading and decided to focus on their way home, since we didn´t get to see this in TV.

* * *

It was over.

After hours of looking for Thomas, their secret, self-planned, not sanctioned search-and-rescue operation was over.

She leaned back in her seat on Robin´s jet and closed her eyes. From the moment he told her about this mission, she had a bad feeling about it. While she understood that he was not allowed to talk about it - she knew what top secret meant, after all - his deflection and him insisting that it was just reserve duty multiple times told her that it was anything but. He had evaded her questions a little too much, which normally meant that whatever it was, it was serious.

Surprisingly, they´ve managed to get in and out without any casualties on their side. Scratched and light bruises were the only things that showed that the passengers of this jet haven´t simply been on a holiday in South America.

Thomas, meanwhile, had more serious injuries than simple bruises and scratches. His fight with Ivan and his followers had left him with bruised rips, but he insisted that he was fine and didn´t need medical attention.

Everyone of them had expected this. They all knew about his dislike of hospitals. He only went there if he was unconscious, or nearly unconscious. Even if he woke up in hospitals and didn´t knew why he was there, one of his first questions always was: “When can I get out of here?” Their group – or most of them – shared his opinion about hospital stays, based on their vast experiences.

She herself wasn´t a fan of hospitals either, but this time she would make sure that Thomas went to see a doctor as soon as they landed. He had chosen to lie down on the couch-like seats on one side of the plane, as sitting in a small seat for long hours would not be comfortable with his bruised rips. She wasn´t sure how to carry out her plan, but she knew that she could count on their friends – family – to help her. Otherwise, she would make sure to bring the hospital, or at least a doctor, to him.

“What are you thinking about?”

His quiet voice pulled her out of her thoughts. She hadn´t noticed that he kept an eye on her, too lost in her thoughts. Good thing that he wasn´t able to read them, otherwise he would have come up with a plan of his own and the exact opposite of her plans.

“Just that we´ve had luck this time. Except for you, no one is really injured and we´re still alive.” Standing up, she walked over to him. The seat was big enough for him lying down and her sitting next to him. “This could have ended differently.”

Taking her hands in his, he patiently waited until she met his eyes. He had known that him being on a secret mission – he knew she would figure out the real reason for his “reserve duty” – would not be easy for her. Nightmares about Richard being killed on a mission, alone and without help, still haunted her. Both of them understood that there have been other important people in their life before. But while she could think about Richard without hate and anger, this was what he felt when he thought about Hannah.

“I know. But in the end, it didn´t.”

“Still, it could have been. I… “she stopped and looked down to their joined hands. Taking her breath, she forced herself to finish the sentence. “I was telling myself that either way, I would come and bring you back. I would not leave you here alone, away from home, from your family. You didn´t deserve this.”

“I would have done the same for you!”

Juliet looked up and met his gaze. After nearly two years of knowing him, their friendship and relatively knew relationship, it still amazed her how well he could read her. He understood her fears and it made her nervous, but happy at the same time that he didn´t just dismissed them. Learning to talk about it was still new to her, but he had been extremely patient with her.

Seeing that she was lost in her thoughts again, he moved one hand to her cheek before letting it wander to her neck. Pulling slightly, he drew her head to his and dropped a soft kiss to her lips. Since there weren´t on the plane alone, he kept it short and chaste. It was just a way of reassuring her – them – that they were still alive and understood the situation.

A smile appeared on her face. She knew what he was trying to say. Moving her hands from his chest to his face, she initiated the second kiss. While keeping in mind that they weren´t alone, she couldn´t resist to deepen the kiss. She had spent nearly a week without kissing him, touching him, even just holding him. It had been hard enough.

* * *

“Any more doubts?”

“None!”

“Took them long enough!”

“What are you talking about?” Shammy turned to Rick and TC, both of them trying to hide their grins. Rick just pointed behind him at Thomas and Juliet, still lost in their own world.

“Ah!” Turning back, he took his headphones and put them on. “Finally!”

“Lord help us!” Katsumoto also had turned around and after seeing Juliet and Thomas, couldn´t help it. Why did he felt that his live would become even more difficult than it already was? “He alone is difficult enough, but with her…”

“I would like to assure you that our responsible Higgy has a good and calm influence on Thomas, but I don´t think she´ll be able to get him to play by the rules.”

“They´ll make their own rules.”

“Are they´re working together now?”

“Not yet, but it´s just a matter of time before they´ll officially start working together. I should fill out my retirement papers now and let someone else handle them.” Two years of Thomas Magnum working his cases was the same as five years of normal detective work, at least. With Juliet Higgins, it would be even more.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Spoiler Alert: Next chapter is called Decision, after which we make a slight time jump.


	16. Decisions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Juliet makes her decision, but what are her reasons?

* * *

“Three possible clients called while you were away. Two of them said they would like you to call them as soon as possible, the third case is closed already. But”, she paused and threw him a stern look, “you haven´t been released, and with your ribs are still healing, running around the island is out of the question!”

A day after arriving back to Hawaii, he still wondered how his girlfriend had managed to get him to a hospital. He remembered falling asleep on the plane, which was not surprising considering the days he had. Sleeping in a house where his enemies were right next door was not something, he was comfortable with. He remembered Juliet trying to rouse him, telling him that they were back home. Exhausted and half asleep, he had left the plane and got into a car. Next thing he knew, he woke up in a hospital bed.

His friends had told him that next time, they would wait until he was half asleep before trying to convince him to see a doctor. Or teaming up with Juliet, as their relationship – finally, they had been told about everything that happened in the last months, except the most private details, of course – was no longer hidden and they clearly could see her influence on him. They joked about her having him wrapped around her finger and he hadn´t been able to deny it. Now he could show openly what he felt and what she meant to him. And more importantly, Juliet was no longer afraid. They trusted each other and decided that hiding was no longer necessary,

He met her look, impressed that she was up to date with his P.I. work and not really surprised that she tried to keep him from working on the open cases. “Who took over the third case?”

“Actually, that was me.” Sitting down on the armchair next to his bed, she set her phone on the nightstand.

“You took the case? But I thought…” Her refusal to become his partner still present in his mind, he wondered why she had one this.

“It was something that was clearly more up to my expertise than yours. So, I thought, why shouldn´t I help?” Although she had made her decision, she couldn´t resist teasing him a little. But this was serious, so she continued. “You would have asked me for help anyway, if you had been here.”

“Just because we are a good team.”

“That we are.”

Hearing her agree, he sat up – slowly, as his ribs were still sensitive – and tried to understand what she was saying. “Are you saying…?” He had hoped for this but had promised her and himself not to force her into this.

“I´m saying… that from now on, you´re not alone. I´ll will be your partner.”

He tried to answer her, but she had left him speechless. He had hoped that she would change her mind one day, but didn´t expect it to happen so soon. Keeping his promise not to push her, he had held back, occasionally asking her for favours but not as much as before. He didn´t want her to feel pressured in any way. “Why?”

She stood up and went over to the window. It hadn´t been an easy decision to make but she was sure it was the right one.

“I like the work. The thrill, the investigations, helping others who are not able to help themselves. I did it before but back then, I didn´t get to see the results. I stayed in the shadow, not knowing the outcome except for the official statements. There was so much I was missing but I never questioned it. Now I saw the other side, and I saw how you work.”

Turning around, she searched his eyes. “You just want to help everyone, and I admire this. I´ve never seen this before in someone like this, even if I´ve met a lot of people over the years. Helping themselves or getting the mission done was often more important than possible victims. There were others, but not many who were able to stand up for it. It can be hard to go against everyone without any kind of support.”

Sitting down next to him on the bed, she took his hand and squeezed it. Feeling him returning the contact, she smiled softly before continuing. “While I understand what you´re doing, and why, you´re not invincible. You always run into danger, not away from it. If something happens to you, you need to know that it´s alright to get help. And”, she stopped, as her next thought was scaring and reassuring at the same time, “if something happens to you, on a mission or on a case, I want to be by your side, right next to you. Or a least, be the one to be informed when you come back, or something happened to you.”

Again, she left him speechless. He had not expected this, her laying her feelings about everything so open. Juliet hated being seen as vulnerable but had just spilled out her most private thoughts to him. They would have to talk about this later, for sure. He could read her pretty well by now and he had always been good at reading between the lines and noticing things about other people. There were still things left unsaid, but they could wait for now.

As his ribs didn´t allow him to sit up properly, he let go of her hand and cupped her cheek, before moving it to her neck. Pulling slightly, he drew her to him so he could kiss her.

Like so often, they could forget about words, as their actions spoke louder than anything.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Spoiler Alert for next chapter: A visa expires...


	17. Time runs out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Earlier than usual, as I don´t know if I´ll be able to post on sunday.
> 
> We´re in Episode 2x17, which gave me the idea for this whole story...

* * *

_“And then your visa-issue came up.” TC added._

_“Yes. “_

* * *

Juliet sat at her desk in the study and starred at the envelope in her hand. There it was, black letters on white paper, with the official seal. The notification she knew would come one day but hoped to be far in the future.

Her visa would expire in three months. She would not be allowed to stay in Hawaii. She had to leave, return to London, and apply for a new visa. It would take time, time away from everything that was important to her.

“Higgy?” Thomas entered the study and found Juliet deep in her thoughts. She hadn´t answered when he called her name two times, which was unusual for her. She was always alert to her surroundings and aware of what was going on around her.

The hellhounds were lying in front of her desk, coming to their feet as he stopped next to Juliet. He would never say it out loud, but he rather liked how attuned they were to his Juliet. Both took their protection duty very seriously and Juliet was on top propriety, just like for himself.

“Easy, easy. I come in peace.” Maybe he should have brought a white flag with him. It was an international sign of peace, right? Or was it surrender?

Two pairs of eyes eyed him sceptically. He kept his hands in front of him and waited for them to decide that he was no danger to their mistress. The dogs slowly sat down, keeping their eyes on him. Alright, he could live with that.

“Juliet? Everything alright?” He sat down on the edge of her desk. His question was met with silence.

“I know you think I like talking to myself, but I don´t really like it. I mean, it´s good when you´re trying to remember something, or make the dumbest things sound logical. But if no one listens, that is where it gets boring. It is much more fun if you have someone to talk to. Or argue, discuss, agree, maybe even fight…”

He looked at her during his speech. She didn´t react to his words, didn´t comment on his speech, did not tell him off. That was not typical for her. He put his hand on her shoulder. “Juliet?”

Juliet was torn out of her thoughts by the hand that gently squeezed her shoulder. She looked to her left and found Thomas sitting on her desk, looking anxiety at her. “You´re alright?”, he asked softly. His eyes showed concern mixed with curiosity. How long had he been here?

“Everything is fine.” She stood up and took her phone from the desk while keeping the letter in her hands, the front hidden from his view. “I just need to make some calls.” Deliberately, she walked around the other side of the desk to avoid him and made her way further into the house. A few seconds later, he heard a door closing, loud enough to let him know that something was definitely not fine.

* * *

He hadn´t seen her since she left the office, which had been yesterday morning. Knowing that disturbing her would make her pull back even more, he tried to distract himself by paddling in the ocean. Normally, it helped to clear his mind, but today his thoughts went back to Juliet. He simply missed her.

When he arrived back, he saw her sitting at the beach, staring out of the ocean. Slowly, he made his way to her and set down next to her. She didn´t acknowledge his presence, which told him that whatever was on her mind was significant.

“What are you thinking about?” he asked her quietly and took her hand, which rested on her knees.

Finally, she turned her head to him. The look in her eyes was disturbing, like she had made a decision she hadn´t wanted to make, and didn´t know how to explain. Instead of telling him, she took his head in his hands and brought his face to hers.

Her kiss was urgent and demanding. He responded with equal fever, letting her feel what he felt for her. He joined his hands behind her back and pulled her closer. Juliet moved to her knees and straddled him. Her hands went to his shoulders and pulled him closer, trying to erase any space between them. He let her, sensing her desperation and her need to have him as near as possible.

When they came up for air, he cradled her cheeks and looked at her. “Juliet”, he whispered. He didn´t know what was going on, but he was worried. She has kissed him with a fever and desperation that made him worry.

The worry that was visible on his face. She hated that she was the cause of this, but she couldn´t help herself. She was running out of time and didn´t want it to end. She leaned in to kiss him again, soft, and slowly. Taking her time, trying to memorize every single feeling.

Thomas broke their kiss. He sank back and pulled her with him, so she was lying on his chest. Embracing her, he tried to ignore the feeling that that crept up on him.

“Tell me what’s happening. Let me help you.” He knew he was close to begging, pleading her to tell him what was going on, but he didn´t care. He simply needed to know what was going on with her.

“My visa will expire soon.” He froze when she finished her sentence, his thoughts already running every possible scenario about the meaning being of these words. He got a feeling that he did not want to hear what she was about to say next.

“I have to leave. I have to get back to the London.”

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Spoiler Alert: Episode 2x18 - at least the talk between Katsumoto and someone...


	18. The voice of reason

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We´re in Episode 2x18... and the title says it all....

* * *

“What is it with you today?” Katsumoto decided to skip any kind of small talk and to get to the bottom of things. The P.I had behaved normal for once, listening to him and did not try to get involved in an investigation earlier. One he could ignore, all together were reason for real concern. While he was happy if the P.I. listened to him, he had decided to talk to him, which brought him to La Mariana.

“Juliet.”

That he had figured out by now. He knew that both of them were in a relationship as well as working together. From what he has been able to see in the last months, they were able to make their personal relationship work while also working together as P.I. without serve problems. They made a great team, much to his chagrin. “What is with her?”, he asked, trying not to sound to forward but had an idea what this was about.

“It´s her immigration status. She has to go back to London to renew her visa, has to wait for six months, most likely more. So, she´ll leave the island soon.” He didn´t try to hide his mood from Katsumoto. His normally cheerful appearance had disappeared in the last days since Juliet told him about her visa.

Katsumoto was not surprised. He had heard about the visa situation but wasn´t sure what Higgins decided to do about it. He knew that there were options to extend her visa but wasn´t sure if she would qualify for these.

“No extension granted?”, he asked.

“No, due to a backlog of visas. And she hasn´t been here long enough to apply for permanent residence. So, she has to go back to London and wait until she gets a new visa.” Which was not guaranteed at all. Her past might make everything more complicated than it already was.

“I´ve been thinking about what I can do to help her, but there is nothing that I can do. Except for…” He did not finish his sentence. While he trusted his friend, Katsumoto was an officer of the state. A lawful officer who didn´t like breaking same law and more importantly, had made it clear that he would not be able to bail them out of everything. To tell him what he was thinking about – maybe even planning to do – would be a bad idea and he would see right through them.

“Whatever you´re planning to do, don´t!” Katsumoto has suspected right away was Magnum was planning and while he was not surprised, he thought it was a bad idea.

“You would be subjected to an interview. These people are trained to spot lies, to recognize mimic, gestures, tones… You´ll have to keep your act together the whole time, and after that as well.”

“It would not be a lie, you know.” He had first thought about spending the rest of his life with Juliet a few weeks after they started their relationship.

_They had spent an evening home, cooking dinner, and watching a movie. He could not remember which one, as not even half an hour after starting it, Juliet fell asleep, laying her head on his lap._

_She had been busy with estate business, phone calls and other things the days before that they barely got to see each other. Bus after seeing everything was done, he had suggested a quiet evening home, instead of going out, like they had planned earlier that day._

_He had thought about that in contrast to earlier years, he welcomed the quiet, serene atmosphere in the guest house. Going out together had advantages, but these moments behind doors were to precious to share. Here, they could be themselves and did not have to consider others. He agreed with her that their private lift was theirs and no one else´s._

_Playing with her curls and lost in thoughts, he didn´t realise that Juliet had woken up and turned her head to him. She had joined their hands and then looked up to him with a warm, but tired smile. He lifted their hands and pressed a kiss on her hand. “Sleep!”, he whispered, knowing how exhausted she was after the last days._

_“You´ll stay?”, she whispered as well, not wanting to disturb the warmth and quietness that had settled in the room._

_“I´m staying!”, he promised quietly, pressing another kiss to her hand. Reassured, Juliet had resumed her earlier position and closed her eyes again, moving their hands in front of her._

_He continued to look at her, taking in her face. He always knew that she had a soft side, which she kept carefully hidden in public. But in private, she started to let him in. He enjoyed these moments with her in the knowledge that very few were allowed to see her like this. It was something precious that he wouldn´t trade for anything in the world. Especially now, as he had found the woman, he wanted to spend the rest of his life with._

“That would be even worse. “Katsumoto pulled him out of his thoughts. “Getting married for all the wrong reasons will make your marriage even more difficult.” He paused. “Do it if you´re sure. If she is sure and ready.”

He looked down on the table. His friend was right. His plan could go either way, all would work out or it would backfire with devasting consequences for both of them. But while he understood his reasoning, he was not ready for Juliet to leave and not seeing her for an unknown amount of time.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Spoiler Alert: They talk.... but will it work?


	19. Flying home?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can someone tell me where the last two months have gone? Real life got in the way way too much, didn´t even leave me time for reading other stories. But hopefully, everything will calm down a bit (spoiler: they will not, it´s just a wish... )

* * *

_“You went back to London, as they wouldn´t simply expand your visa. “_

_“Yes. “_

* * *

One week. Only one week since she had left and flown back to London, and there were at least 23 more weeks until she might come back. He wasn´t sure what was bothering him more, the distance or time difference, which made calling each other difficult. He didn´t mind if she called and woke him, but as she pointed out, he couldn´t sleep the day away. Their business should not suffer, even if one half was on the other side of the world. And even then, she managed to do her usual work and keep up with his cases. (Of course, only Juliet Higgins was able to get a local job done while being thousands of miles away). The least he could do was to keep their PI business running.

He remembered their talk, one of these deep, meaningful talks that set the path for their future. They talked, argues, discussed, and fought from time to time, but made sure to sort any disagreement out. Hiding their feeling would hurt the other as well, and neither him nor her wished to hurt each other.

_After his talk with Gordon, he went home. Still thinking about their talk, he still wasn´t sure what to do. On one side, if he and Juliet got married, it would make sure that she could stay here. But for this, both of them would be under intense scrutiny. Their life, even the most private parts, would be questioned by strangers._ _This was the point that made him stop thinking about marriage. While they didn´t hide their relationship anymore, he was sure that not even their friends knew how intense their relationship was. It went deeper than they showed, only showing their deepest feelings to each other. But to lay all their cards on the table, talking about feelings, secrets, promises, everything that they shared with each other, to someone else, was not something he was comfortable with._

_Others might say that he wore his heart on a sleeve and was not afraid to show emotion, and while it was true, there was another part of him, the part that was afraid to get hurt - again – hidden behind walls. Hannah had hurt him with her deception much deeper than most realised. Giving love another chance had not been easy and he was still working through this. But now, he trusted Juliet with his life and heart._

_He simply could not let anyone else see all this. Juliet understood, but who else might?_

_“Thomas?” Of course, she had found him, even when he retreated to a part of the beach that was hidden by rocks._

_Looking in her direction, the words he wanted to say got stuck. In her long, flowing dress, she looked amazing. Hair tousled by the wind, the skirt swishing around her legs and holding her platform shoes. Like she had been out in the sun all day, enjoying the nice weather, without any care. Which was as far from the truth as it could be. But keeping up appearances was like a second nature to her._

_“Are you alright? You´ve been out here for hours.”_

_“I´m thinking.”_

_“About… it?” The visa. The nearing departure date, the booked flight to London._

_“Yes… it has been on my mind for the last days.” More like weeks. “I thought I found an option for you to stay. But then, someone else showed me that some things look easier than they will be.” He wasn´t sure if he should tell her about this, in exact details._

_“They´re never as easy as they seem to be. Making something look to easy takes hard work. The more that become involved, the harder it gets for everyone.”_

_Stuck by her words, he took her hand. “Juliet.”, he whispered._ _Was she really talking about marriage? And did that meant that she has also thought about this last option which would her allow to stay here, what had become her home?_

_She kneeled down and put a finger on his lips. “Please, don’t ask me.”_

He remembered how Juliet had stopped him before he could say any more. While it had not been a proposal, he had been hurt by her rejection. But knowing that she was on the same page with this has been helpful. He never meant to pressure her into anything, and when – not if – he decided to ask her to marry him, he hoped that she would say yes without any doubt.

_“We´re not there yet.” Taking his face in her hands, she moved closer and rested her forehead against his. “We have the rest of our lives together. I wish to enjoy our time, not hurry into something that might complicate everything.”_

She had made the right decision on this day. Like she had said, marry in haste, repent in leisure. Quick to marry, quick to regret. In their case, they would have to let strangers in their life, which would have let to arguing, fighting, and ended in disaster. But the right decision came with a price.

* * *

It was late at night when he heard his phone ringing. Other than clients, who called at all hours a day, few people called him that late. Calls from Juliet at night, however, were rare. She preferred to call him in the morning before she went to bed. As she currently had no job (she would take time to send her application for a visa, and then travel around the country for a while, claiming she hadn´t seen much of her home country beside her former home), she was able to sleep in as much as she liked.

Knowing her, it meant 8 a.m. the latest. For him, sleeping in meant almost three hours more, but right now, he was the one with a job and had o get up at a reasonable time.

“Thomas, I…you…” Her voice was just a whisper and she stopped, like she wasn´t sure how to put her thoughts into words. But he was sure what this call was about.

“You´ve got my letter, didn´t you?” He could hear that something had upset her but hoped it was nothing bad. He may have written a bit too much but wanted her to know that he loved her. And that he was waiting for her, as long as it took her to come back.

“I did”, she answered, trying to hold her tears back. The letter, which waited for her at the reception of the hotel when she came back, had surprised her. It had no return address and she didn´t immediately recognize the handwriting. She ruled out MI6 or any kind of business letter, as these would have a return address or being computer-written.

Back in her room, she had opened the letter and after reading the first words, she knew who had send it to her.

“I know that you´re a hopeless romantic, but this…” Again, she could not find the words to describe what she felt reading his letter. Thomas had managed to make her, to loved to have the last word, utterly speechless.

“Every word is true”, he assured her. Writing her this letter had been risky, expressing his feelings so right from the heart. He knew that she wasn´t used to such open expression of feelings, but he hoped that she understood what he tried to say.

“Will you write me back?”

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Spoiler Alert: Not liking to talk about feelings is not the same as writing about them....


	20. Straight from the heart...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Somehow, I simply could not not post the letter, so I´ve worked it in the chapter.
> 
> Hopefully, I´ll be able to post another chapter before Christmas, and write some more during the holidays.

* * *

Juliet was still awake at midnight, not able to fall asleep. After their phone call, which she ended with a heavy heart, she had read his letter again and again, Crying, laughing, and wishing she were with him, back in Hawaii. To show him was this letter meant to her.

His letter surprised her, but if anyone could pull off such a beautiful letter, it would be Thomas Magnum.

* * *

_My Love,_

_I´ve never written a love letter before. I know it is a little old-fashioned, but I thought I would try anyway, for you._ _7 days since you left and still, I wake up and turn around, hoping to find you next to me. Never find I out that this is just a bad dream, that you´ll appear in the doorway, coming to wake me after your run. When I wake up and think of you, you´re going to bed on the other side of the ocean. I cannot say how every time I ever put my arms around you, I felt like I am home.  
  
_

For her, home was where Thomas was. It could have been anywhere, but they made Hawaii their home and she could not imagine leaving it. (She silenced the voice in her head that told her that she actually has left. It was only temporarily, and she planned to get back home as soon as possible.) _  
  
_

_I live on as if nothing had changed, but I´m not happy. You´ve been part of my live just a few years and in this time, we´ve got closer than I realised. All those miles away from you are too much. Being really happy, being care-free and enjoying living without worry is only possible when I´m near you._ _Having you in my life showed me that bad experiences from the past don´t have to define my present life. And they don´t have anything to say about our future. I´ve promised myself to do everything to make you as happy as I am when I´m with you._

He did make her happy. After so many years of mourning, he pulled her out of her shell and showed her that it was alright to mourn Richard, but he would have wanted for her to be happy. Richard and Thomas never met, obviously, but instinctively, the latter recognised what Richard had meant to her, and what kind of man he was. He was able to read other people quire well, even if the didn´t knew then long. Or never met them, just from words.

_I pick up the phone and try to call you. Hoping you´re still awake, waiting for me to call you. When you pick up, your day just starts while I´m ending another long day without you, or I´m waking up while you just go to bed._ _I ask about your day, loving to hear your voice. You ask me what I´ve done this day or what I´m planning to do. We don´t need to say “I miss you” but we do it every time. I am able to hear your words and understand what you are trying to say without you saying them. So far apart, we need to hear the words even when we know what the other is trying to say. Even if I like hearing you say it, I like it more when you show me._

Here she started crying again. Talking about her feeling was not easy for her. With Thomas, she could show him, and he would understand what she was trying to say.

_I cannot see you right now, but I can picture you. I see your hair and the way it falls on your shoulders, the way you smile and how you look right before you laugh._ _I wish I could be next to you right now. I can feel you close to me even though you are so far away._

How she wished she could be with him, in his arms. She longed to hold him, to feel him, to kiss him, to fall asleep in his arms.  
  


_Please always remember that I love you. This I promised you before you left._ _To keep you, to hold you, to love you, come what may...  
  
_

* * *

_  
“Will you write me back?”_

His question had been unexpected. She had heard the hope in his voice, the shyness, and the love he just declared in such beautiful words. And while she never had written a love letter before, she whished to return his gesture.

_“I want to, but…”_

_“Don´t think about it to much. It´s not the head, it´s the heart. Write what you want. There is no rule for perfection because everything from you will be exactly right.”_

Touched by his perception, she hoped that she would be able to return his gesture…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Spoiler Alert: Is writing really easier than talking about feelings? Juliet will find out soon enough...


	21. You´ve got mail

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy 2021 :)
> 
> Finally, Juliet´s letter is here.

* * *

He spent the last days keeping track of mail coming in and hoping to find one special letter addressed to him. There was still a chance of receiving no letter at all. Juliet wasn´t one for great declarations of love, or how she felt. He knew this, simply because he knew her.

But as usual, she managed to surprise him.

_"This should be an easy letter to write. It should be simple for me to tell you how happy I was to get your letter, but somehow, I cannot possibly say all that in a letter. I composed a beautiful letter to you in the sleepless hours of the night, and it has all gone._

_At night, I lie down and imagine you are here with me. I did not know just how hart this separation would be. They say absence makes the heart grow fonder, and my fondness has no bounds._

_I have gotten very used to being happy with you. I do not want to be without you for the next 20 years, or 40, or however many there may be. I love you with all my heart and to know that you love me means so much to me._

_You have no idea how I have been hurt in the past. I care about people, but it may not show. I´m used to hiding feelings and emotions. I have brought it to a fine art. I have never known otherwise._

_But you have broken down my defences. And I do not really can resent it. Not when you´re the reason for it. I just miss you, in a quite simple desperate human way. I miss you even more than I could have believed._

_It is incredible how essential to me you have become. Every word you confide in me, every wonderful and terrible moment you share with me, melts me inside._

_Having you in my life makes each day a little brighter. I cannot wait to wake up next to you in the mornings. I think of you often throughout the day, and when I come home, I can be close to you again._

_I want to tell you that you are my first thought in the morning, my only thought throughout the day, and my last thought before I fall asleep. No minute passes by when I do not sigh, wanting to be near you, with you._

_I know you are out there chasing your dreams, and I am here trying to make a life of my own. However, I cannot help missing you badly. You are a part of everything I do because I hold you close to my heart._

He had known it before, had felt it and even heard it from her. But nonetheless, reading her letter only manifested it again. No matter their current separation, they were heading in the same direction. Together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Spoiler Alert: The next part of the conversation (from Chapter 1). Kumu has a few things to say...


End file.
